Cerrado Sunrise, the Winner of the International Garden Photographer of the Year Competition 11, by Marcio Cabral

A huge thank you and congratulations to all of our winning photographers who have once again captured the incredible beauty, diversity and importance of plant life, from the wilds of Patagonia to the English country garden. A special congratulations goes to Marcio Cabral, of Brasilia, Brazil, who is the overall winner and the International Garden Photographer of the Year Competition 11.
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“There is a great mix of whimsy, drama and simplicity to this photograph that really makes it stand out. There is enough backlighting to illuminate the icicles yet not so much to draw your attention away from the 50’s pop idol for whom the street is named. It’s also obvious that the photographer was out in the thick of this ice storm to capture this shot. Kudos to you.”

1st Place
“Frosty Night in Ottawa”
Shot by Vlastimil Pojman with an OM-D E-M1 Mark II, M.Zuiko ED 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 II.
Peter’s Comments:
“There is a great mix of whimsy, drama and simplicity to this photograph that really makes it stand out. There is enough backlighting to illuminate the icicles yet not so much to draw your attention away from the 50’s pop idol for whom the street is named. It’s also obvious that the photographer was out in the thick of this ice storm to capture this shot. Kudos to you.”
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The 15th Annual Photo Contest is now closed. Look for our finalist announcement in spring 2018 and enjoy our archives in the meantime! Thank you for being part of our photo community.

Some featured entries, editor’s pick and photos of the day:

Caddy Camper in the Mojave Desert
by David Evans
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Fantasia
by Yen Sin Wong
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Downstairs
by Klaus Lenzen
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This is in the middle of nowhere, an unknown pond, a duck that I can’t tell which kind, but at one moment, they all become alive, beautifully alive, the fog and sunshine paint this little scene with golden colours.
by Victor Liu
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Outdoor Photographer Of The Year Competition Category Winners Revealed

View from Above
Tom Sweetman (United Kingdom)
Chiang Mai, ThailandIt was just before sunset in Chiang Mai and I decided to ride my scooter alongside the famous Ping River. As I was approaching a bridge I stopped to take a break and noticed that it was a motorbike bridge for locals, connecting two villages. I took this aerial photograph with my drone to document the incredible patterns in the river and the locals crossing the bridge on their scooters. Some days you just capture the moment.
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Light on the Land
Simon Baxter
North Yorkshire, England (United Kingdom)I originally captured a similar scene to this during a flurry of unexpected snow in April 2016. It’s typically the first spot I come to when exploring this private woodland, and I couldn’t help but capture it again when I was treated to these wonderful – but rare – conditions of mist with a hint of warm light as the morning sun tried to break through. The combination of the damp cobwebs, fallen birch, dominant old pine and the soft light filling this atmospheric and shallow valley makes it a favourite spot of mine for solitude.
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Wildlife Insight
Jose Fragozo (Portugal)
Nairobi National Park, KenyaThis image shows two giraffes and three impalas in the rain in the forest region of Nairobi National Park, Kenya, which is also home to the Athi lion pride. I have observed these lions hunting many times in the rain, which possibly explains why different species of preyed animals stay together; it’s a defence mechanism, so they can collectively sense predators better. In this case, however, the lions were far away. The photo was taken from inside a 4×4 vehicle, and the major challenge was keeping the camera and lens dry.
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Spirit of Travel
Andy Holliman (United Kingdom)
Kangerlussuaq airport, Greenland.Kangerlussuaq airport is the largest airport in Greenland, so it is not only a busy hub for domestic flights, but also the main arrival point for international travellers. Air Greenland has a near monopoly on flights, so almost everything is in the company’s bright red colours. It was the simple colour palette of this scene that appealed to me, including the signposts that are apparently directing the planes to their destinations. My departure had been delayed by three days due to bad weather on the coast, so seeing the arrival of the plane that would return me to Copenhagen was welcome. It may not look that way, but the end of winter was near and within weeks the snow would have cleared.
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Under Exposed
Saeed Rashid (United Kingdom)
Sohal surgeonfish, Fury Shoals, Red Sea, EgyptIn the summer months, sohal surgeonfish tend to mate and lay eggs on the top of the reefs in the Red Sea. They fiercely defend their egg patch and rush upon anything that invades that area. They will often swipe their tail, which has a bony protrusion sticking from it that can be as sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, towards the intruder. Because of this you need to make sure you don’t get too close as a photographer’s hands make a very easy target and often get cut.
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Outdoor Photographer Of The Year Competition Category Winners
more at opoty

See the superb winning pictures from our prestigious competition.From thousands of entries from all over the world, the judges of the Black+White Photographer of the Year 2018 were faced with the difficult task of choosing the three winning images.

First Prize – Rachael Talibart
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Second Prize – Eduardo López Moreno
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Third Prize – Aqua Lin
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and some of the best pictures from our prestigious competition…

Gary Jones
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Andi Abdul Halil
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Black+White Photographer of the Year 2018
See all the winners and a selection of other entries in the February issue of Black+White Photography magazine – out now.
More of the judges’ favourite pictures are available on the app edition of this magazine.

Professional : Sports
Hana Asano
Torrance, CA, United States
Former Professionalbasketball player Stef Corgel goes for a finger-roll layup in Los Angeles. This image was shot as part of a personal series titled “Nosebleed Seats.”
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First Place | Professional : Action/Adventure
Andrew Kornylak
Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Climber Jonathan Brandt fully extends looking for the next hold on a cliff at Little River Canyon National Preserve in Alabama.
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First Place | Amateur : Action/Adventure
Aidan Williams
linden, NSW, Australia
A series depicting athletes highlining in daring conditions—an activity where they perform on suspended webbing while wearing a harness and leash.
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Amateur : Fitness
Riley Joslin
West Henrietta, NY, United States
A portrait capturing simplicity in the beauty of the strong female body.
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Grand Prize | Amateur : Sports
Enrique Lopez-Tapia
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Known as Pacu Jawi, this sporting event in South Sumatra, Indonesia, is a traditional celebration where riders hold onto the tails of oxen and try to reach the end of a flooded rice field without falling.
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Professional : Action/Adventure
Darcy Brown
Middlesbrough, Cleveland, United Kingdom
After a storm passed through Hout Bay, South Africa, Brown says that the world’s finest big wave surfers tackled the residual waves, which rose up to 40 feet. “Wonderfully mad, inspiring and adrenaline-fueled action all the way,” she says.
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